Page 16 - 2010 - AOUT

Apart from that, why did I choose to put a
hardware shop together in the first place? I
suppose I was attracted to the clutter of
practicality. The hardware shop used to be
the modern day equivalent of a department
store for home wares. You could purchase
the majority of goods for your home from a
hardware shop in days gone by, and my first
impression of the hardware shop in the
museum was that of clutter.

Tins, packets, bowls, baskets, brushes and
anything else you care to mention were
everywhere; particularly hanging from the
ceiling, not to mention outside the shop. In
miniature terms, that translates as
“anything goes”. The occupational hazard
for most dolls house collectors is
accumulating piles of odds and ends that
have taken our eye for no particular reason,
then end up in drawers waiting for a home.
A hardware shop could be that home.

The building itself is the Sid Cooke corner shop ‐ ok I cheated. It was already built and ready‐wired when I bought it.
I like constructed shells ready for me to move into. I don’t particularly like woodwork and I’m no good with copper
tape, screws and electrics. The nearest I got to woodwork was making the tongue and grooving for the walls. I

could have bought real,
sophisticated miniature tongue
and grooving, but for some
reason I can’t fathom, I chose to
paint individual pieces of wood
and stick them one by one on the
walls. Looking back, I think it
would have been better to have
chamfered the sides first since
they look rather stark, but
they’re stuck solid now, so
they’re staying. And I don’t think
anyone would notice, unless I
told them.